A haptic effect for mobile wireless communication devices or handsets, or non-communication devices such as portable gaming machines and gaming console controllers, is typically the generation of different types of vibrations at the handset to provide vibrotactile feedback to the user. Haptic devices that may include haptic effects, such as cellular telephones and personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), come in different shapes and sizes, utilize different actuators to generate vibrations, and locate the actuators in different places on the devices, and therefore by nature are mechanically different. As a result, when designing a device with a haptic effect, the vibrations as sensed by a user may vary greatly depending on these differences.
However, haptic devices are intended to transmit certain information to the user. When different devices are used to transmit the same information, it is imperative that these devices behave in a similar fashion and have the same performance criteria. Haptic devices of the same model/type produced in series through a certain manufacturing process might achieve the same performance criteria if a good quality assurance process is followed from the time the device is designed throughout the complete manufacturing process. However, when haptic devices of different sizes and masses are designed and implemented to give the same haptic information, it becomes more difficult to assure that they meet a consistent performance criteria.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a method and apparatus for certification and testing during the manufacture of haptic devices to ensure that different types of devices perform properly and consistently even if they are mechanically different.